Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cambodia

How best to obtain visas for travel in Vietnam?

pariser — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:23:45 -0800

Is it best to get a Vietnam / Cambodia visa from the consulate, or from one of the companies that provide visas to travelers? I'm a US citizen headed to Southeast Asia in a few weeks (I need a one month multiple entrance visit for travel in Vietnam and a one month single entrance visit for travel in Cambodia).

I've parsed many state department pages and foreign consulate websites, only to find that it is quite expensive to get a Vietnam visa from the consulate, with a $40 visa fee and a $90 consulate fee, per person!

It seems that the $90 fee is really excessive, and upon doing some searches, I came across http://www.myvietnamvisa.com, who provide a "Visa on Arrival" option for $96 for two people.

Has anyone used this company's service? I'm quite a bit apprehensive that I'll arrive at Ho Chi Minh City airport at 11pm and not be allowed to enter the country after many hours of consecutive travel.

Temple vs. Beach

crookedneighbor — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:53:01 -0800

5 days in August: Angkor Wat or Koh Samui? A friend and I are traveling in SE Asia in August, and we have an extra five or so days on the itinerary (somewhere between Hong Kong and Beijing). The two possibilities are Siem Reap/Angkor Wat and Koh Samui, with a day in Bangkok on the way.

What matters:
adventure, beauty, cuisine, local life, culture, lack of stress

What we want to avoid:
malaria, violent crime, package tours, traffic

Advice on where to go/what to do in either place is welcome.

Help me refine my trip to SE Asia.

hazyspring — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:54:16 -0800

I'm planning a trip to SE Asia for one month. When is the best time to go? How much is it realistic for me to do? Definitely would like to go to Laos and Cambodia. Possibly Vietnam. I just got back from Thailand, and would like to plan a trip to some other countries for next year. I've read some of the other threads, and talked to some backpackers on my trip, and everyone seems to say Laos and Cambodia.

I enjoyed travelling in Thailand during June because it was off-peak, tourist places weren't packed full, and prices were slightly cheaper. It was very hot, and it did rain for about an hour a day, but it didn't bother me too much.

Also, would it be reasonable for me to add Vietnam to this, or is that pushing it? I would like to be able to travel at a moderate place, not moving too quickly from one place to the next.

Help me get photos off my SD card from a cafe in Cambodia

piper4 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:18:37 -0800

I'm in Cambodia and just tried to upload my photos off my SD card, which I've done before. This time, the computer wouldn't show any folders, although the photos do show up on the camera - they're there! It does show there's a gig of material on there. I've tried a couple of computers, a card reader, connecting directly with a camera cable and putting the card in someone else's camera. The pictures only show up on my camera.

I'm betting the SD card is corrupted somehow. Is there anything I can do to get those photos off from an internet cafe in Cambodia?

InternGiftFilter: Cambodia-style

bhance — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:45:04 -0800

GiftFilter: What send-off gift to give an intern headed to Cambodia? I have a friend headed to Cambodia (Phnom Penh) for many months in the Fall for an internship. It is their first time in the country, but not their first overseas trip. I'd like to send them off with a helpful, meaningful, small gift in their hands.

Ideas? Perhaps you, Metafilter reader, have been there/lived there/stepped off the plane and said "Gee, I sure wish I had brought $thing with me before I got here ..."

I'm open to any ideas, from the purely functional (voltage converter?) to the hyper-local (Idiot's Guide to the Bars of Phnom Penh?).

Where should we stay in Phnom Penh?

RobotAdam — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:13:21 -0800

My girlfriend and I are arriving in Phnom Penh Monday morning (leaving from the US on Saturday), and we're looking for any personal recommendations on guesthouses. We don't need the cheapest of the cheap; anything with a private bathroom and hot water would suit us. Any suggestions?

One Week In Southeast Asia

bardic — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:11:24 -0800

Where would I have the most fun for one week -- Cambodia? Viet Nam? Or Laos? I'm in the enviable position of living in Asia right now and I need to start thinking about my vacation. It'll probaby be some time in the Spring (April maybe?), and I'd be going for about a week. I'm leaning towards Cambodia, but I'm open to other suggestions.

I would be 1) travelling by myself 2) with a backpack 3) ideally renting a scooter to get around 4) interested in seeing as much local culture and scenic beauty as possible 5) but not averse to doing a little partying as well. Oh, I'm also fine with cheap. I've been to Thailand and stayed in places that would make a lot of Americans have a seizure. Not that I don't like clean and modern, but down and dirty is OK. It's kind of what I'm looking for, actually. Comfortable is always nice though, I'm just not a picky person.

Information regarding visa and/or health requirements (shots) appreciated (I'm a Yank). But honestly, I'd love to hear some people's impressions of vacations in these places.

Oh, and I speak bar and restaurant French. Would that come in handy?

Vietnam: 196x, The VC are creating trouble in Vinh Binh . . . How do I get there?

MasonDixon — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:48:35 -0800

Following up from this question, are there any good historical Atlases of Vietnam? Indochina? The Vietnam War? South Vietnam? The one Atlas on Vietnam at Amazon seems to have mixed reviews.

Is there anything else? My google-fu finds nothing. Combining Google Maps with the online msn encarta one is the best solution I've come up with so far. Flipping back and forth is not not particularly convenient. They are also contemporary maps and I don't fancy reading in front of my computer all the time.

Opening a Guesthouse in Cambodia = Newhart + The Beach?

pokeydonut — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:33:09 -0800

My wife and I want to drop our corporate lives in New York and open a guesthouse in Cambodia for backpackers. Anyone have any experience with this or other crackpot plans? My wife and I have contemplated breaking out of the rat race in various ways, but as we are about to finish paying off her student loans, our discussions are becoming decreasingly hypothetical. Our latest plan, which is actually getting a surprising amount of traction, is opening up a guesthouse/hotel/hostel in Cambodia or Laos. I'd originally planned on Siam Reap, where I went in 2002, but I've heard that it's been ritzed up lately and we might need to find a more under-the-radar locale.

Regardless, the same concerns would apply. Although we're both lawyers and ostensibly smart and hard-working, etc. we have no experience in the hospitality business, no contacts in this region and, last but not least, no abilities to speak in the native tongue. On the upside, we only want to do this for a year or so and we're willing end up $10-20,000 in the red on the whole enterprise so we've got that going for us. We are, however, strenously opposed to being robbed, raped, murdered or thrown into a Laotian prison. Plus there are real concerns like insurance and drug laws and kidnapping and and bribery and Khmer overlords and lawsuits that can't be dismissed with the sheer force of a Carpe Diem attitude.

So has anyone out there ever done something similar to this and do you have any constructive advice on starting a business in a foriegn country?

Help me find my outer Buddha

planetthoughtful — Sun, 25 May 2008 16:46:12 -0800

Can you help me track down a replacement for a Buddha pendant that a coworker brought back to Australia from Cambodia approximately 10 years ago? I misplaced a pendant a coworker brought back from a trip to Cambodia, and try as I might I can't find a replacement anywhere on the net. A picture of the pendant (along with pen cap for size comparison) can be found here: Cambodian Buddha Pendant.

My coworker told me it cost about $10 Australian (this would have been approx 10 years ago. Note: price isn't an issue, just thought this might be helpful for context), and that these pendants were very common in marketplaces 'in Cambodia'.

I've tried searching for a replacement over the years without any luck, and since it's unlikely that I'll be traveling to Cambodia anytime soon, I'm turning to the hivemind for help!

Can you help me find a replacement? (It probably goes without saying, but I'd need to purchase from or through someone who is able to ship to Australia) I'd honestly be just as happy to find a similar pendant, as long as the similarity is strong...

Thanks to anyone and everyone who gives it some thought!

A book about Indochina, to make my mother happy.

bookish — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:36:58 -0800

My mom wants a book on French Indochina, and I'd like to find a good one for her. Preferably non-fiction, but good fiction with some insight into history and culture would work, too. The exact historical time range is flexible, but she's mostly interested in the area pre-Vietnam War.

Help me pack for southeast asia!

Black_Umbrella — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:04:04 -0800

Help me pack for Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam for 2.5 weeks! In one week i am leaving for Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam for 2.5 weeks. I have a 60L backpack. I have no idea what to pack. I need to pack less then 20 kilo (less is even better). I am a little limited in what i can bring because i am on study abroad in australia so i have a limited supply of items.

Please! Any useful items or tips for southeast asia!

Phnom Penh Siem Reap by boat

Pericles — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 07:58:29 -0800

Anyone got experience of travelling from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by boat? Seems like a great way to see rural Cambodia. Is it fun? Is it safe? I'd be travelling in August, so in wet season.

Don't let me miss the boomerang exhibition!

antifuse — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 03:02:00 -0800

Help me not miss anything on my "once in a lifetime" trip through southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand! Ok... in just under a month, my new fiancee and I are leaving for a 6 week trip - we're moving back to Canada from Ireland and decided to take the long way home. Here's my itinerary:

Shanghai: 04/24-04/28
Siem Reap/Angkor Wat: 04/29-05/01 (Taking the bus there from Phnom Penh, and flying back)
Phnom Penh: 05/01 noon-05/03 noon
Phuket area: 05/03-05/11 (with roughly 4-5 days on Ko Phi Phi, and the rest travelling around the area)
Singapore: 05/11 noon-05/12 evening
Melbourne: 05/13 v.early-05/18 mid-morning
Sydney: 05/18-05/22 mid-morning
Townsville up to Cairns: 05/22-05/27(midnight) (Cairns because we are flying Cairns->Auckland->Queenstown)
Queenstown: 05/28-06/02 afternoon
Wellington: 06/02-06/05 evening
Los Angeles: 06/05 2pm-10pm

Now, here's my question. Given my itinerary, is there anything in my given destinations that is ABSOLUTELY not to be missed? We've already got some set things planned... obviously Angkor Wat, visiting the beach from The Beach when we're on Ko Phi Phi, Phillip Island when we're in Melbourne, some sort of boat tour on the barrier reef, the Franz Josef Glacier when we're in Queenstown, but I want to make sure I don't get home from this amazing trip, only to have somebody say "OMG, you didn't visit the flying trapeze museum in Shanghai? It is AMAZING!"

Some background for the types of things we're looking for: amazing museums, architecture, interaction with locals (moreso in Asia than Aus/NZ), beautiful natural areas with interesting wildlife (more like zoos than jungle hikes, though)

Things we're not interested in: jungle hikes (fiancee is afraid of snakes... deathly afraid... so much so that we're not allowed to go to Fraser Island)

I know that this is going to be a jam packed trip (we tried to arrange travel to give as much time in the places we're most interested in), but I'd hate to miss something absolutely amazing just because we were rushing, ya know?

Also, any tips for the trip in general would be well received, but I'm more interested in sights. And yes, we're already well sorted with our vaccinations/disease prevention plan. I feel like a pincushion!

How best to "country-hop" in Asia?

skepticallypleased — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:13:19 -0800

I would like to visit Thailand, Cambodia, Bali, and Singapore during a month I have off this summer. Can anyone recommend an efficient, possibly inexpensive way to get to all the places inbetween here? I did a previous search and I saw that someone recommended the All Asia pass. Has anyone tried that?

Are there any, reliable "Southwests/Jet Blues" of Southeast Asia that I should look into as well?

I appreciate any help.

New Cellphone

Iax — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 20:01:21 -0800

Can I get a cellphone in Canada that will also work in SE Asia? My old multi year cell phone contract has just expired, and I need a new phone anyways (the hinge is breaking off). Can I sign up for a new contract with some company, and get a phone (preferably for free) that could also work in Cambodia?

VISA to Canada

Iax — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:14:39 -0800

I need advice on getting a visitor visa, Temporary Resident Visa(TRV) for a Cambodian to come visit Canada. What kind of stuff should be included in the TRV application other than the basics?
We sent off a quick basic one (all forms and letter of introduction from me with tax statements) and it was rejected because there "was not proof that she would not stay in Canada."
What kind of stuff are they looking for?
I, the canadian, am 24. She, the cambodian is 22 and works as a cook for a guesthouse.
Travelled around SE Asia with her for 4 months, several months ago, and I am going back there in two weeks.
Two (swedish) friends of mine who owned a bar in sihanoukville took their girlfriends(who are friends of my girlfriend) to sweden for a several week vacation and they had no problems with the visa and they had a good time, went skiing, and other stuff that you can't really do in SE Asia, and then they all came back to Cambodia. I was hoping to do the same thing. Would a letter from them or something like that help? The embassy that processes the stuff is in Thailand, would both showing up in person help?
Anything else to include in the application?

Question about gangs

josher71 — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 20:55:36 -0800

Where can I find some gang members in Phnom Penh? I'm trying to track down some members of repatriated Cambodians who are in gangs in Phnom Penh. Or, really, anyone who is in a gang in Phnom Penh but especially those who were once in the US but now are back in Cambodia.

Cambodian to Vancouver

Iax — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 11:04:09 -0800

Need help buying a plane ticket for a Cambodian to come to Vancouver Canada from Phnom Penh. I'm in Vancouver. Because she is a Cambodian citizen, we would prefer the flight didn’t stop over in USA, even if it’s just a fueling stop, she would need a visa, and that’s an extra $100 dollars plus interview.

A flight from Phnom Penh, then to Singapore, Japan, the Philippines or Hong Kong then straight to Vancouver would be best.
Because these countries seem to allow transit visas or exemptions. Maybe Korea too.

I tried checking out a couple Vancouver travel agents, and they all quoted prices that were very outrageous. It would be cheaper to buy TWO round trip tickets TO Cambodia then just cancel half of each of them.

So any suggestions on how to purchase a cheaper ticket? Any travel agents you know, in Vancouver preferably, that could get me a cheaper ticket. Or any www sites that could help too?

Backpacker Nirvana?

0bvious — Mon, 29 May 2006 22:43:58 -0800

Know any good travelling websites? Most specifically for backpacking in Asia... I am going to hit up SE Asia this August, hopefully for a few months, and am looking for some great resources for planning my trip.

A backpackers message board / forum would also be great, specifically one which hooks up lone travellers into potential groups.

Any SE Asia hints in general will be gladly accepted (I am travelling starting in Japan - see previous MeFi-question)